NathanielLee is a writer for The Hollywood Insider who focuses on writing feature and review articles. He is an aspiring filmmaker who specializes in the horror and surrealist genres as well as indie filmmaking. Nathaniel believes that film is a powerful tool that can be used to stir up and bring valuable change to the world through messages and internal meanings. He also believes in the mantra of the smaller the better and sincerely believes that entertainment with meager budgets has the power to alter society altogether. As a result, his views align with The Hollywood Insider’s mission statements concerning anti-gossip and positive journalism with a focus on improving the world through uplifting others instead of tearing them down. Nathaniel is currently applying to universities where he looks to study film.
Aug 4, 2022
Table of Contents
Photo: Jordan Peele’s Films
3. ‘Nope’
Don’t let the placement of ‘Nope’ on this list fool you. ‘Nope’ is without a doubt a great film, although it has some tough competition when it is compared to the rest of Peele’s work. ‘Nope’ feels like Peele’s attempt at a blockbuster-style film and I am totally here for that. The film itself features grand visuals and strong characters, both of these are key aspects to the film’s new take on an original blockbuster mixed with the horror and thriller genre.
While Nope may lack the political undertones that made ‘Us’ and ‘Get Out’ so great, it chooses to instead feature and examine spectacles and how society responds to them. ‘Nope’ also looks at the American mythos, specifically at cowboy culture and how black people have been excluded from that throughout history. There is no doubt that ‘Nope’ carries with it a lot of valuable and important material which all work to enhance the film’s large blockbuster nature.
The main reason that ‘Nope’ takes the bottom tier of this ranking is not that it is a bad film but because it lacks the power that ‘Us’ and ‘Get Out’ have. ‘Us’ and ‘Get Out’ touch on extremely sensitive and important topics while ‘Nope’ focuses more on the fun. Again this is not a bad thing for ‘Nope’, however, as a result of this, it lands the bottom spot on this ranking of films by Jordan Peele.
Jordan Peele’s second feature film ‘Us’ is the scariest film he has ever made. Featuring themes concerning identity and character ‘Us’ Carrie’s with it a heavy thematic load. These scares and themes then mix together to create one of the best films we’ve seen in recent years and one unforgettable experience at the movie theater. On top of this, ‘Us’ also makes comments on our government through the tethered people who follow their tethered partner’s every move and who eat rabbits to sustain themselves.
‘Us’ also features arguably the best performance from any Jordan Peele film from Lupita Nyong’o. She had the tough task of playing two different characters and she managed to do so with such grace. Her performance is both terrifying and heartfelt as she turns into the tethered version of her character and as a mother to two children. While she was snubbed at the Academy Awards, Lupita Nyong’o no doubt deserves all the praise she has been getting over the years for her performance as it elevates ‘Us’ to new heights and it makes for a scary good time at the theater.
Altogether, ‘Us’ is an extremely rewarding horror film and a very good example of elevated horror where strong and important themes and messages mix with the horrors of the material to produce a film that is scary and important. There is not a lot wrong with ‘Us’, the only reason that ‘Us’ is not number one on this list is that there is another Jordan Peele film that does what ‘Us’ does just a little bit better. While ‘Us’ is not only a fanatic film but a fantastic horror film in general, it is not Peele’s best. That spot is reversed for his first film, the film that showed the world that Jordan Peele, a comedic actor, could make some of the most terrifying horrors we have ever seen.
The number one film on this list was never a question in my mind. The spot had to go to Jordan Peele’s magnum opus and the film that put him on the map in terms of horror filmmaking. ‘Get Out’ was extremely unique when it came out for its mix of horror and important themes concerning things like racism. Racism plays a very important role in ‘Get Out’ and adds to the horror of what you are seeing on screen. Without a doubt, Peele managed to find the perfect balance between social commentary and scares with ‘Get Out’ and as a result produced one of the best films of the 2010s.
Even the academy recognized Jordan Peele’s astonishing work with ‘Get Out’ as they rewarded him with an Oscar for best original screenplay, which is rare for a horror film and which he undoubtedly deserved. ‘Get Out’ represents a film that we do not see come out very often. A film that releases and shakes this country to its core. While ‘Us’ was a great example of elevated horror I believe that ‘Get Out’ is a perfect example of elevated horror with its mix of both important social commentary and terrifying visuals.
There is no doubt that Peele managed to create something really magnificent with ‘Get Out’. ‘Get Out’ will be remembered and analyzed for years to come for its near-perfect use of the horror genre as a means to get somewhere and say something important. In ‘Get Out’ Peele uses the horror genre as a vehicle to say something about the world and about America specifically. He then did this so well that the horrors of reality and fiction were able to merge together to create one of the scariest films that have hit the big screen in recent memory. ‘Get Out’ is Jordan Peele’s masterpiece and in my mind assuredly deserved the top spot on this ranking of Peele’s films.
Jordan Peele as a whole
Jordan Peele is unquestionably one of the greatest things to happen to the horror genre since Wes Craven in the 80s and 90s. His films uses horror as a way to carry real weight and real-world messaging. Peele does not just use his films to scare but also to teach and this makes him one of the most valuable filmmakers working today. The three films which he has made thus far are all of the supreme quality and are all at least great examples of the concept of elevated horror. The only question left is, what great scary thing will he create next?
By Nathaniel Lee
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I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
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NathanielLee is a writer for The Hollywood Insider who focuses on writing feature and review articles. He is an aspiring filmmaker who specializes in the horror and surrealist genres as well as indie filmmaking. Nathaniel believes that film is a powerful tool that can be used to stir up and bring valuable change to the world through messages and internal meanings. He also believes in the mantra of the smaller the better and sincerely believes that entertainment with meager budgets has the power to alter society altogether. As a result, his views align with The Hollywood Insider’s mission statements concerning anti-gossip and positive journalism with a focus on improving the world through uplifting others instead of tearing them down. Nathaniel is currently applying to universities where he looks to study film.
NathanielLee is a writer for The Hollywood Insider who focuses on writing feature and review articles. He is an aspiring filmmaker who specializes in the horror and surrealist genres as well as indie filmmaking. Nathaniel believes that film is a powerful tool that can be used to stir up and bring valuable change to the world through messages and internal meanings. He also believes in the mantra of the smaller the better and sincerely believes that entertainment with meager budgets has the power to alter society altogether. As a result, his views align with The Hollywood Insider’s mission statements concerning anti-gossip and positive journalism with a focus on improving the world through uplifting others instead of tearing them down. Nathaniel is currently applying to universities where he looks to study film.
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